HYDERABAD: The pandemic has put the spotlight on the need to follow a healthy lifestyle, which means there’s no room for junk food, a.k.a fast carbs. While breaking the habit of snacking might be tough (because carbohydrates are super addictive), there are several low-carb snack options one can find, which are healthy as well as lip-smacking good.
“Snacking in between meals recharges your body and boosts your energy levels. However, snacking on the wrong items such as fried foods and sugary items can cause weight gain which is why it is essential to keep low-carb and healthier snacks handy,” says Mohammed Zeeshan Ahmed, co-founder of Fitmeals India which started in 2015 at Banjara Hills, Rd No. 2. Fitmeals India serves fresh, healthy food which meet the nutritional requirements. It’s motto is to bring down the consumption of preserved and processed foods.
Roasted makhana (Fox seeds) is another great alternative, which comes in many flavours. Roasted nuts such as almonds, cashews, walnuts and pistachios, hummus with veggies, banana with peanut butter, boiled or deviled eggs, omelettes with a twist, avocado, coconut and strawberry smoothies and dark chocolate without sugar are some healthy options too. “Snacks can be both healthy and delicious.
The intention was to introduce the concept of healthy eating in Hyderabad where people have always associated healthy food with terms like ‘expensive’, ‘boring’ and ‘bland’,” says Ahmed. He’s also managed to make pizzas healthy by replacing the maida and wheat base with a cauliflower base. “Pizza is a popular favourite, but is packed with carbs. A cauliflower base turns this snack flavourful and nutritious,” he says.
Dr M Gayathri, a nutritionist from Apollo Hospitals, explains the science of snacking. “Fast-digesting carbohydrates or fast foods are are addictive. Since we get enough energy from meals, we don’t need snacks that have as many carbs,” she says.